Chapter Six
“Miss Alex?”
Anna Jenkins held up her hand and waved it impatiently above her head. Alex raised her gaze from grading assignments to the child, working to hide a grin. “Yes, Anna?”
“Since we all got our work done, will you show us another magic trick?” Anna’s pleading and the hopeful glances from the other students compelled her to agree.
“I think that would be acceptable.” Alex set aside the work she graded and cleared a spot on her desk. From beneath it, she pulled out the small trunk that held her magic props and set it where all the students could see.
She kept it locked, but someone had tried to pry it open one day while she sat outside during the lunch break with the younger children. Fred made the best and most obvious suspect, but she had no proof. Whoever tried to force it open bent one of the hinges, but failed to do any real damage.
The chain she wore around her neck held three keys. Alex used the smallest to open the lock on the trunk and lifted the lid. The students gaped at what appeared to be an empty container. She closed the lid, waved her hands around it, and tripped a hidden lever in the side that lifted the false bottom and revealed the contents.
A simple trick would entertain the children, so she removed a tall drinking glass and a sturdy piece of pasteboard from the trunk.
As she glanced over the eager faces, Alex smiled at Tom. In the past few weeks, he’d become an exemplary student, diligent in his work while he continued to ignore Fred’s attempts to drag him into mischief.
“Tom, would you mind assisting me today?” In an attempt to make all the children feel involved, she took turns asking them to help her.
The boy’s face reddened, but he got to his feet.
“Please bring the bucket of water with you.”
Tom snagged the bucket of drinking water from where it sat at the back of the room and carried it to her desk.
“What’s today’s trick, Miss Alex?” Percy Bruner asked, leaning forward in his seat next to Anna to get a better view of the unfolding magic.
“Today, I’ll make water stay in a glass, even when it’s turned upside down.”
Fred snorted in disbelief from his desk in the corner. The rest of the students watched with rapt concentration as Alex held out the glass and asked Tom to stick his fingers inside to show it was, in fact, a regular drinking glass.
“Tom, would you be so kind as to ladle water into the glass?” Alex smiled as the boy lifted the ladle from the bucket and poured water into the glass. When it was half-full she instructed him to stop. “That will do nicely. Thank you.”
She handed him the piece of pasteboard to inspect and he rubbed his thumb across the coating on one side of it. “What’s on this, Miss Alex?”
“Roofing cement. It’s a bonding agent used on roofs to prevent leakage. The waterproof substance keeps the water from soaking into the pasteboard and turning it into a soggy glob. Notice it is dry and not sticky so it doesn’t voluntarily stick to the glass.” Alex took the pasteboard from his hand and tapped it against the glass, showing nothing on the surface made it adhere.
Almost faster than the students could see, she held the pasteboard over the glass and turned it upside down. Miraculously, the water stayed inside the glass while the pasteboard held fast to the rim.
Slowly walking around the room, she let each student study the glass. In an effort to be kind, she even walked over to Fred’s desk to let him take a gander at the glass.
“I betcha can’t make the water fall out of the glass. There’s something in there holdin’ it in.”
“Are you certain?” Alex asked, tired of the boy’s constant arguing and disruptive comments. He continued to refuse to participate in the class and his mother stopped by at least once a week to monitor Alex’s teaching methods.
One afternoon, Mrs. Decker trudged into the classroom, intent on moving Fred’s desk to the back of the classroom. Alex insisted she leave it alone and the two women engaged in a tug-of-war that Alex easily won.
Just that morning, the intractable woman had stayed for an hour, criticizing every word Alex uttered. Fred sat in the corner making rude gestures at the rest of the class behind his mother’s back.
Fed up with both the boy and his mother, Alex started to walk away from his desk when his words brought her to a halt.
“Yep. I’m not like the rest of these dummies who fall for your trickery. I say that water can’t come out. Only an idiot would think it could. Somethin’ is holdin’ it in the glass.” Fred leaned back in his seat and sneered at her.
Alex turned to the rest of her students. “What do you think, class? Can the water come out or is it stuck in the glass?”
“Make it come out, Miss Alex! Make it come out!”
She waved the hand not holding the glass in the air and moved so she stood directly above Fred. “Alakazam!”
The pasteboard fell away and the contents of the glass splashed into Fred’s face, leaving him spluttering.
“You done that on purpose, you witch!” Fred jumped to his feet and lunged for Alex, but Tom and the two other older boys stepped between them.
“I think you better go home, Fred.” Tom gave him a push toward the door.
Fred backed away, but not before pointing his finger at Alex. “You’ll regret this, teacher.”
In truth, she already regretted her actions. She shouldn’t have let Fred goad her into losing her temper, but the boy was an insufferable barb in her side.
He wasted his opportunities to learn while impeding the abilities of the rest of the students with his veiled threats and cruel bullying.
Alex had no idea why he bothered to show up for class other than it got him away from his overbearing mother and irritated her.
No doubt, Luke would hear what she’d done within minutes after Fred arriving home because Mrs. Decker would beat a hasty path to the bank to complain.
“Are you okay, Miss Alex?” Tom gingerly touched her arm.
She smiled at him. “I am, Tom. Thank you for your assistance. John and Ralph, my thanks to you both.”
The boys nodded and returned to their seats.
“I believe we’ll dismiss class a few minutes early today. Enjoy your evening, children.”
“Thank you for the magic trick, Miss Alex. It was really good,” Anna Jenkins said as she gathered her things and stood from her desk. Several other children expressed their appreciation of her efforts before quietly leaving the building.
Sinking down onto her chair, Alex glanced up as Tom approached her desk, obviously disturbed about something. “Miss Alex, it’s not a good idea to rile Fred. He’s likely to do something awful.”
“I appreciate your concern, Tom. I shouldn’t have let the water fall on him. That was wrong on my part.”
A smile lifted the corners of Tom’s mouth. “Might have been wrong, but it was funny. He looked like a half-drowned rat.”
Alex laughed despite herself and got to her feet. She placed her hand on Tom’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze as she walked him to the door. “He did at that. You’re a nice boy, Tom Grove. Don’t you ever forget that.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Tom blushed as he hurried down the school steps and started along the road toward his family’s farm.
After closing the door, Alex returned to her desk and finished grading the students’ assignments, cleaned up the water around Fred’s desk, and wiped down the blackboard.
In need of a moment to gather her thoughts and composure, she sat at her desk and rested her head on her crossed arms.
Startled when a warm hand touched her arm, she whipped up her head and stared into Arlan’s kind blue eyes.
“Are you all right?” Worry etched a vertical line down his forehead as he bent over her.
Alex wanted to reach out and smooth it away. Instead, she folded her hands in her lap and leaned back in her chair. “I’m perfectly fine. Why do you ask?”
“Mrs. Decker stormed into the bank demandin
g Luke fire you for attacking her boy. She dragged Fred along and he gave Luke some cock-and-bull story about you using witchcraft and plotting to drown him with a bucket of water. The ol’ biddy insisted Luke call together the school board and is threatening to have the sheriff throw you in jail.”
Alex rose from her desk, gathered her things, and stuffed them into her satchel. Undaunted, she returned the glass and pasteboard card to her trunk, locked it, and picked it up along with her satchel then started walking toward the door.
“Miss Janowski?” Arlan followed her, waiting for her to speak as he took the trunk from her hands. When she continued out the door and locked it behind them, he put a hand to her arm and pulled her to a stop. “Alex? Say something.”
Gently, she pulled away from him and continued walking toward her house. “My mother always said if you can’t say anything kind, you should refrain from speaking. I can’t think of a single word fit to be spoken regarding that forked-tongued woman and the unholy terror she claims as her boy. I’m fairly certain Mr. Decker chooses to stay away because his wife bore the spawn of Lucifer himself. It isn’t a surprise why Fred is an only child.”
Arlan couldn’t keep from laughing. He laughed so hard his eyes watered and he had to bend over to catch his breath.
“You’re something else, Alex the Amazing.”
She grinned at him over her shoulder as she opened her door and motioned for him to join her inside.
“Would you like a cup of tea?” she asked, setting her satchel on the floor and adding wood to the stove. Arlan had been in the house a few times, but noted its stark simplicity. The main room had a stove and a sink with a pump at one end with a rocking chair, a side chair, one small table, and a lamp at the other. A dining table with four chairs sat between the two spaces. A doorway led to a separate bedroom. Arlan tried not to glance at it because all manner of inappropriate thoughts flit through his head when he did.
“Tea?” Alex asked again.
Abruptly snatching his wayward thoughts together and caging them, he focused on answering the question as he set her trunk on the floor next to her satchel. “If it’s no trouble that would be nice.”
He took a seat at the table and watched as Alex made tea then placed a few cookies on a plate and slid it his direction.
The first bite of the jam-laden pastry filled his mouth with a delightful flavor. Quickly eating it, he helped himself to another.
“These are very good. Did you make them?” He forced himself to drink part of his cup of tea before eating a third cookie.
“Yes, I did. They’re called kolacky. It’s a cookie my grandmother taught my mother to make. I must admit that Filly provided the jam, though.”
“She does make good jam, but these cookies are very tasty.”
Alex smiled at him and reached over, brushing a crumb from his lip. The contact sent a tingling jolt from his mouth to his toes. When she yanked her hand back, he knew she must have felt something similar.
Ruby-toned lips drew his attention as they parted slightly. Her eyes gazed at him uncertainly but with a definite spark of interest.
Desperate for a distraction, he brought up the reason he’d come to see her. “What really happened with Fred today?”
“In my defense, Mrs. Decker spent an hour this morning with the class, making her opinion on my teaching abilities incredibly clear to any and all. Fred continued where she left off and I guess you could say I had enough. I did a little trick with a glass of water and he offered one more insult than I could tolerate.” Alex sipped her tea. “I know I shouldn’t have done it but dumping the water on him felt exceptionally satisfying at the time.”
Arlan chuckled and shook his head. “I missed another of your magic tricks. I think I need Luke to excuse me from the bank early so I can see them, too. The children in your classroom have all the fun.”
Alex studied him a moment, taking in his neatly combed hair, starched shirt, and tailored pinstriped suit with a trim waistcoat. Arlan always appeared immaculately attired. Despite how striking he looked, she longed to ruffle his hair. She had an idea it would not only make him appear boyish, but infinitely more appealing than she already found him.
With an effort, she clasped her fingers together and tipped her head, once again musing that Arlan had to be one of the kindest men she’d ever encountered. Filled with a curiosity about his past, she concluded she didn’t know much about him.
Skillfully, she turned the conversation from her blunder with Fred to the man sitting at her table.
“How long have you worked for Luke at the bank?”
Arlan gave her an inquisitive look and swallowed the bite of cookie in his mouth before answering. “Since I finished my schooling. I always liked numbers and Luke offered me a job when I needed it most.”
“I heard you mention a brother. Do you have other siblings?” She admired the dimple that popped out in Arlan’s left cheek as he smiled at her.
“No, just Adam. He’s three years older than I am and lives in Portland. He’s the captain of a boat on the Columbia River.”
Alex grinned. “That sounds like an exciting position.”
“Adam enjoys it but I prefer to keep my feet on dry land.”
Alex rose and added more wood to the stove then tied on a crisp, white apron. “I agree. Water beneath my feet instead of solid ground makes me nervous. Has your brother been in Portland long?”
“Almost four years. He left when our mother passed away.” Arlan watched as Alex placed slices of ham into a skillet and cracked several eggs into another.
“I’m sorry. I know how hard it is to lose a parent. Is your father still living?”
“No. He died in a mining accident when I was fourteen. It happened more than ten years ago. Mother was never quite the same after that. She sold our farm and moved Adam and I into town, insisting we both get a good education so we could do something besides manual labor our whole lives. At least she passed on knowing we both had gainful employment.”
Alex heard the sadness in Arlan’s voice and stepped away from the stove, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “I’m sure she’d be quite proud of you.”
Flooded with emotion he didn’t want to acknowledge, Arlan stood and pointed to the stove. “It appears I’m keeping you from your dinner. I best be on my way.”
“I’m making some for you, too, if you don’t mind ham and eggs.” She motioned for Arlan to sit back down at the table. “You might as well keep me company until Luke comes.”
“Luke? What makes you think Luke will come?”
Alex flipped over a piece of ham and sighed. “Mrs. Decker won’t rest until the school board hears what heinous deed has befallen her son. It’s a safe assumption that Luke will ask me to speak to them when they gather.”
Taken aback by her insight and wisdom, Arlan stared at her. “Doesn’t it make you nervous?”
“No. Douglas said my wagon should be ready in another week or so and I’ve made just enough money to pay him for the work. That was the only reason I took this job. If they fire me, at least I can pay for the repairs and be on my way.”
Clumsily choking on his tea, Arlan coughed into the napkin Alex handed him. Her plan to leave as soon as school let out for the Christmas holiday was no secret. Nonetheless, the thought of her leaving Hardman permanently made his chest ache for some inexplicable reason.
“Are you okay?” she asked, thumping him on the back.
Another cough cleared the lump in his throat. Numbly, he nodded his head. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine. In fact, your face looks flushed.” Alex placed the back of her cool hand to his forehead then her palm to his cheek. “Are you sure you feel well?”
Arlan didn’t feel well and hadn’t since the day he’d met her. Well seemed an agonizingly inadequate term when her presence left him energized, alive, and buoyed with excitement.
The urge to pull her onto his lap and kiss her ripe mouth nearly overcame him. Before he gave in t
o the desire, he pushed back his chair and stood. “May I help you with dinner?”
Alex dished ham and eggs onto two plates, handing them to Arlan to set on the table. She opened a jar of peaches and placed it next to him, then set a pan of leftover cornbread between their plates.
After pumping two glasses full of cold well water, she sat at the table and asked him to offer thanks for the meal.
Tears pricked her eyes, listening to Arlan’s confident voice as he asked a blessing on the meal and her. She hadn’t cried since her mother died, but something about the man’s gentle spirit brought long-buried feelings to the surface that she’d rather not face.
Forcefully tamping down her emotions, she raised her head at his “amen” and passed him the butter.
A tap on the door as Arlan helped her dry the last of the dishes let her know the time of reckoning had arrived. Stepping across the room, she smiled as she opened the door, surprised to see not only Luke, but also Blake Stratton, Percy Bruner and his father, George, who also served on the school board. The figures of two more men stood in the shadows beyond the circle of light spilling onto the step.
Luke swiped the hat from his head. “I hate to bother you, Miss Alex, but as you may have guessed, the school board needs to discuss the incident that happened at school today. Would you mind coming over to the schoolhouse?”
“There’s no need to go over there. You’ll have to light the stove and lamps. You gentlemen are welcome to meet in here, if that is satisfactory.” Alex stepped back so the men could enter her small house.
The two men in the background turned out to be Tom Grove’s father, James, and Leroy Jenkins, father to Anna and her siblings.
Aware of the impropriety of being alone with Alex, Arlan started to leave, but Luke motioned for him to stay. “You might as well listen to the proceedings, Arlan.”
Arlan helped Alex move the chairs away from the table and set them around her small sitting area before removing himself to her kitchen area. The men crowded in while Luke remained standing, insisting Alex take the last chair.
The Christmas Calamity Page 6
